Have you ever thought doing a triathlon was crazy or unrealistic? Well, it’s not, and here are six individuals who are on a journey to FINISH their first ever triathlon.

Bill, Angie, Becky, Missy, Sandy & Tina have all made the ultimate commitment, better themselves through lifestyle changes. And in making this commitment, they have set the goal to complete their first triathlon on Sunday, June 1, 2014.

Each member of our “6 Pack” has and will go through fitness assessments, wellness coaching, goal-setting, personal and group training, all to prepare them for a 400 yard swim, 15 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run.

Follow these 6 as they give you first-hand accounts of their journey to a healthier and fit lifestyle, along with tips and takeaways from our staff on exercise, nutrition, triathlons and injury prevention.

My biggest challenge has been eating healthier. What I eat during the day affects my workouts, my energy level and my sleep. Also, drinking lots of water is a huge benefit. I’ve tried to workout a few times after a day of unhealthy food and very little water. It was not pretty.

My challenge has been working in exercise on the days I work. I work 12 hour shifts that usually end up being longer. I leave home at 6am and get home between 8 & 9pm. I have somewhat of a drive.

Good food choices have also been a challenge for me. Finding good food that I can out together quick is tuff. Many of the prepared choices have a lot of sodium in them. So, we are reading recipes and looking up food before we go out to eat.

My biggest challenge has been getting out of the mind set “eat less lose weight faster”. I was not taking in account how many calories I was burning throughout the day. I started out eating this way and by Friday I was so wiped that I didn’t want to do anything over the weekend. Since increasing calorie intake of healthy foods I have more energy by end of week:).

My biggest challenge so far is The Food..Who would have thought this was going to be my biggest challenge, i for sure thought it was going to be the work outs. Mot the food part!
I was never good at logging my food, planning my meals or mesaureing it also. So that took me some time to get use to. Also I didn’t realize what i ate affect the why I felt. A couple of weeks into it i was starting to sleep better and my energy was great! But don’t get me wrong i still slip of the wagon now and then but i am right back at it the next day.
The other thing that i still am trying to get use to is eating more to lose weight! Who would have that i would need to ear more! Not me! Crazy🙂 In the mean time its all about meal planning and getting the right amount of calories i need to keep me going.

My 3 big challenges to getting into an exercise routine: lack of energy, time, and motivation. Actually making the committment and knowing what exercises to do can be difficult as well.

Energy. I overcame the energy obstacle accidentally last August when I stumbled upon a wheat-free diet. Following the “Wheatbelly” diet recommendations (wheatbellyblog.com) I immediately felt an increase in physical energy and mental clarity–no “fogginess”. Understanding the troublesome components of wheat (amylopectin-A, gluten, gliaden, glutenen, lectins) helps me to stick to the diet. It doesn’t hurt to have a supportive spouse either. 3 months later I had lost 30 pounds and felt I could start to exercise without hurting myself.

Time. My schedule is crazy, but my colleagues have the same schedule and are able to train for triathlons, some of them Ironman length. I started a bullet journal (bulletjournal.com) which helps to keep me on task. Automatically blocks of time started to open up in my schedule, and I have been able to accomplish more.

Motivation. Hearing “Exercise is good for you” just doesn’t seem to resonate with me. But after reading “Spark” by John Ratey MD, I learned how exercise affects the brain–positively influencing learning, memory, stress, etc. It made it real for me. I approach exercise now as a dose of medicine that will have lasting beneficial effects.

Committment. At some point, you just have to stop thinking about it and reading about it and just pull the trigger. I have an appointment on the calendar twice a week, and it is set in stone.

Direction. Having a personal trainer helps get me out of my exertion “comfort zone” that I don’t think I could safely do on my own. Junius (our trainer) also prevents me from injuring myself. If I have a knee or hip pain during the session, she will promptly assess the issue, and either corrects my form or has me stretch out that particular muscle. It’s like turning the pain switch off.

You all are doing wonderful! There are unique challenges each of you are facing and I am very glad to see you taking positive actions in strides. Remember, small steps leads to progress! Sometimes with trial and error. It is alright to take a step back once in while. This helps you to take a breather so you can jump back in with full force.

Leading a healthier lifestyle takes work. The more you practice, the easier it gets!